[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 35 (Thursday, February 22, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8076-8077]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3024]



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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Fund Availability Under the VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per 
Diem Program

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs is announcing the 
availability of funds for applications for assistance under the ``Per 
Diem Only'' component of VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem 
Program. This Notice contains information concerning the program, 
funding priorities, application process and amount of funding 
available.

DATES: An original completed and collated grant application (plus three 
completed collated copies) for assistance under the VA's Homeless 
Providers Grant and Per Diem Program must be received in the Grant and 
Per Diem Field Office, by 4 p.m. Eastern Time on April 4, 2007. 
Applications may not be sent by facsimile (FAX). In the interest of 
fairness to all competing applicants, this deadline is firm as to date 
and hour, and VA will treat as ineligible for consideration any 
application that is received after the deadline. Applicants should take 
this practice into account and make early submission of their material 
to avoid any risk of loss of eligibility brought about by unanticipated 
delays or other delivery-related problems.
    For a copy of the Application Package: Download directly from VA's 
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program webpage at: http://www.va.gov/homeless/page.cfm?pg=3 or call the Grant and Per Diem 
Program at (toll-free) 1-877-332-0334. In this package is information 
on Grants.gov submission should applicants so desire. For a document 
relating to the VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program, see 
the Final Rule published in the Federal Register on September 26, 2003.
    Submission of Application: An original completed and collated grant 
application (plus three copies) must be submitted to the following 
address: VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Field Office, 10770 
N. 46th Street, Suite C-200, Tampa, FL 33617. Applications must be 
received in the Grant and Per Diem Field Office by the application 
deadline. This includes applications submitted through Grants.gov. 
Applications must arrive as a complete package. Materials arriving 
separately will not be included in the application package for 
consideration and may result in the application being rejected or not 
funded.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Guy Liedke, VA Homeless Providers 
Grant and Per Diem Program, Department of Veterans Affairs, 10770 N. 
46th Street, Suite C-200, Tampa, FL 33617; (toll-free) 1-877-332-0334.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice announces the availability of 
funds for assistance under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem 
Program for eligible programs that have not previously applied for or 
received per diem in connection with a grant (see 38 CFR 61.1 through 
61.82). Funding applied for under this Notice is authorized by Pub. L. 
109-461, Sec.  703, known as the Veterans Benefit, Health Care and 
Information Technology Act of 2006, codified at 38 U.S.C. 2011, 2012, 
2061, 2064, and may be used for aid for supportive housing. Service 
Centers will not be funded in this NOFA. Funding will be in the form of 
per diem payments issued to eligible entities for the period beginning 
on July 1, 2007, and are subject to availability of funds and the 
recipients' compliance with 38 CFR 61.1 through 61.82. For eligibility 
criteria please refer to Final Rule published in the Federal Register 
on September 26, 2003, 38 CFC 61.30, 61.31, and 61.32.
    As these ``Per Diem Only'' projects are currently serving homeless 
veterans, VA expects that it will take no longer than 90 days from the 
date of award for projects to be inspected and become operational for 
receiving per diem. Failure to meet the 90-day milestone may result in 
the grant being terminated.
    Capital grant recipients who received capital grant funding under 
VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program in years 1994 
through 2006 for acquisition, renovation or new construction should not 
respond to this NOFA. Per diem for those portions of their programs 
that were created with capital grant funds is requested in the capital 
grant application and paid at the time of capital grant project 
completion and inspection.
    Previous ``Per Diem Only'' recipients that renewed their PDO grants 
in 2005 need not reapply. VA is pleased to issue this Notice of Fund 
Availability (NOFA) for the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem 
Program as part of the effort to end chronic homelessness among our 
nation's veterans. The Department expects to create 1000 beds under 
this NOFA.
    Funding available under this NOFA is being offered to help offset 
the operating expenses of existing state and local governments, Indian 
Tribal governments, faith-based, and community-based organizations that 
are capable of providing supported housing and/or supportive service 
center services for homeless veterans. The District of Columbia, the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United 
States, may be considered eligible entities under the definition of 
``State'' in the 38 CFR 61.1 Definitions. It should be noted that VA 
payment is limited to the applicant's cost of care per eligible 
veteran, minus other sources of payments to the applicant for 
furnishing services to homeless veterans up to the per-day rate VA pays 
for State Home Domiciliary care. Awardees will be required to support 
their request for per diem payment with adequate fiscal documentation 
as to program income and expenses.
    Interested organizations should know that the vast majority of 
homeless veterans in this country suffer from mental illness or 
substance abuse disorders or are dually diagnosed with both mental 
illness and substance abuse disorders. In addition, many homeless 
veterans have serious medical problems. Collaboration with VA medical 
centers, VA community-based outpatient clinics or other health care 
providers is an important aspect of assuring that homeless veterans 
have access to appropriate health care services.
    It is important to be aware that VA places great emphasis on 
responsibility and accountability. VA has procedures in place to 
monitor services provided to homeless veterans and outcomes associated 
with the services provided in grant and per diem-funded programs. VA is 
also implementing new procedures to further this effort. Applicants 
should be aware of the following:
    All awardees that are conditionally selected in response to this 
NOFA must meet the Life Safety Code of the National Fire and Protection 
Association as it relates to their specific facility. VA will conduct 
an inspection prior to awardees being able to submit request for 
payment to ensure this requirement is met.
    Each per diem-funded program will have a liaison appointed from a 
nearby VA medical facility to provide oversight and monitor services 
provided to homeless veterans in the per diem-funded program.
    Monitoring will include at least an annual review of each per diem 
program's progress toward meeting internal goals and objectives in 
helping veterans attain housing stability, adequate income support, and 
self sufficiency as identified in each per diem program's original 
application.

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Monitoring will also include a review of the agency's income and 
expenses as they relate to this project to ensure per diem payment is 
accurate.
    Each per diem-funded program will participate in VA's national 
program monitoring and evaluation system administered by VA's Northeast 
Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC). It is the intention of VA to develop 
specific performance targets with respect to housing for homeless 
veterans. NEPEC's monitoring procedures will be used to determine 
successful accomplishment of these housing outcomes for each per diem-
funded program.
    VA encourages all eligible and interested entities to review this 
NOFA and consider applying for funds to provide service for homeless 
veterans.

    Authority: VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program is 
authorized by Pub. L. 109-461, Sec.  703, known as the Veterans 
Benefit, Health Care and Information Technology Act of 2006, 
codified at 38 U.S.C. 2011, 2012, 2061, 2064. The program is 
implemented by the Final Rule codified at 38 CFR Part 61.0. The 
Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on September 26, 
2003, the regulations can be found in their entirety in 38 CFR 61.0 
through 61.82. Funds made available under this Notice are subject to 
the requirements of those regulations.

    Allocation: Approximately $10 million annually is available for the 
per diem only award component of this program. This funding is subject 
to the availability of funds, and will be available so long as 
recipients meet the requirements of 38 CFR 61.1 through 61.82.
    Funding Priorities: VA establishes the following funding priorities 
in order to bolster capacity for populations in areas that are 
underserved by the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. 
Specifically, VA is seeking programs that are not necessarily women-
specific, but in the course of daily operations serve women veterans 
with care of dependent children, and provide them with an opportunity 
to secure funding to offer services to this population. VA is not 
seeking to create large women-specific programs, rather small niche 
housing and services for this underserved population in both urban and 
rural areas.
    Example: In the course of providing daily services a homeless 
provider serves 2-5 homeless veteran women with care of dependent 
children. This provider would create a small program that would supply 
appropriate housing and services to this population.
    In this round of ``Per Diem Only'' funding, VA expects to award 
funding for approximately 1,000 community-based supported housing beds.
    Funding priority 1. Those programs that are not necessarily women-
specific, but in the course of daily operations serve women veterans 
with care of dependent children and will create a niche program to 
serve this population. The applicant must clearly demonstrate, in the 
need section of the application, the number of beds for the women 
veterans and the number of beds for their dependent children. With this 
in mind, applicants are reminded that VA may only pay per diem for the 
women veteran--not the dependent children. Based on the total number of 
beds expected to be funded in this round, approximately 150 of the 
1,000 beds expected to be funded) from eligible entities whose projects 
will provide housing and services specifically to homeless women 
veterans, with care of dependent children will be selected as the first 
funding priority. Of those eligible entities in the first funding 
priority, that are legally fundable, the highest scoring applicants 
will be funded first, followed by the second highest scoring 
applicants, until enough projects totaling approximately 150 beds for 
women are identified for funding. Applicants not selected in this 
priority will be placed in the second funding priority. Should the 
projected 150 bed total not be reached, remaining beds and funding will 
be placed in the second funding priority.
    Funding priority 2. Finally, VA is encouraging interested, state 
and local governments, Indian tribal governments, faith-based, and 
community-based organizations to apply for funding under this NOFA to 
serve all homeless veterans populations. Based on the total number of 
beds expected to be funded in this round, approximately 850 beds will 
be funded in this priority. Of those eligible entities that are legally 
fundable, the highest-ranked applications for which funding is 
available, will be selected for eligibility to receive per diem payment 
in accordance with their ranked order until enough projects totaling 
approximately 850 beds are identified for funding or until funding is 
expended.
    Methodology: VA will review all non-capital grant recipients in 
response to this notice of funding availability. Then, VA will group 
the applicants into the funding priorities categories. Applicants will 
then be ranked within their respective funding category based on score 
and any ranking criteria set forth in that funding category, only if 
the applicant scores at least 500 cumulative points from paragraphs (b) 
(c) (d) (e) and (i) of 38 CFR 61.13.
    The highest-ranked application for which funding is available, 
within the highest funding category, will be conditionally selected for 
eligibility to receive per diem payment in accordance with their ranked 
order until VA reaches the projected bed totals for each category. If 
funds are still available after selection of those applications in the 
highest priority group, VA will continue to conditionally select 
applicants in lower priority categories in accordance with the 
selection method set forth in the Interim Final Rule Sec. 61.32.
    Application Requirements: The specific grant application 
requirements will be specified in the application package. The package 
includes all required forms and certifications. Selections will be made 
based on criteria described in the application, Interim Final Rule, and 
NOFA. Applicants who are selected will be notified of any additional 
information needed to confirm or clarify information provided in the 
application. Applicants will then be notified of the deadline to submit 
such information. If an applicant is unable to meet any conditions for 
grant award within the specified time frame, VA reserves the right to 
not award funds and to use the funds available for other grant and per 
diem applicants.

    Dated: February 16, 2007.
R. James Nicholson,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. E7-3024 Filed 2-21-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P